Big Idea:
So many decisions...what do I want to be when I grow up?

The unit of study for our reading block has been about our Neighborhood Helpers. We have had eight days of writing about different careers. Today I am going to end our Unit with my students writing about what they want to be when they get bigger. We will use many templates to gather information and write our sentences. My students will fulfill the standard of writing an informative paper at the end of today's lesson. I begin my lesson with my students seated on the carpet.

"We have been learning about our community helpers and today we will talk about what we want to be when we get big. We learned that a career is a job that someone does. Lets begin a circle map with "I want to be" in the center. I will draw name sticks so my friends can name careers that they like. I will write all your answers on the circle map."

I let every have an opportunity to orally participate in this discussion. When all the students have had a turn we stop and review all the careers on the circle map.

"You have thought of many careers. Now I will read a book about some different careers. After I read it, we will come back to the circle map and see if we can add more careers to the circle map"

I like to use Thinking Maps when conducting a discussion with my students. I give everyone the opportunity to orally speak their thoughts and ideas. By writing down their answer, validates what they have to say. I love teaching them to take turns and listen to each other.

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When I read the book, Career Day I will engage my students in a discussion about each career and all the things we know about it. I have chosen a fiction book that is about children bringing someone they know to the class to talk about their career. I will remind them that we had guest speakers come to our class and talk to us too. I feel they will have a connection to this book because of the guest speakers and the children in the book are kindergarteners like them.

"Let's read a book about a kindergarten class. It is just like our class. When they talk about neighborhood helpers the children bring in someone they know to talk to their class. I wonder what fun careers they will talk about. As I read the book, look for careers that are not on our circle map. We will add them later."

I read the book and we talk about each career. It is fun to read about the one mother who is an author and an illustrator of children's books. They were WOWED by that idea. We were able to add a few more careers to our circle map.

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"Today we will use a predictable chart to make our sentences. The sentence frame will be; When I get big I will be a __________. We will quickly go up and down the rows and you will each choose a career, something you want to be when you get big. I will write down your sentence. Look at the circle map and choose one career."

I ask each student to dictate the sentence to me. I write down all the sentences. When I write using a predictable chart I use lined chart paper and two different colors of markers. I alternate the color of the sentences to help students identify their sentence. They sentences do not all blend together.

When all of the sentences are written we quickly read the sentences. I then cut the sentences off the chart and give it to the author. The students take their sentence to their tables to writing their sentence on story paper. I walk around to help those in need. The students love this writing process. I don't usually have to help anyone.

When they are finished, I gather their papers and they go sit quietly on the carpet to read library books.

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When everyone is finished, we clean up the books and sit on the carpet ready to listen. I love this part of the lesson. It is like a miniature assessment that doesn't seem like an assessment. I will learn if my instruction was intentional enough for all my students to gain comprehension of the CCSS I used in planning the lesson. I will learn if they liked the subject. A detailed sentence and drawing indicate that they were interested and learned some information. I will learn if I need to change my instruction to encourage the students participation in the discussions. I will learn if I need to differenciate my expectations or give more instruction to my lower students.

When everyone is sitting on their squares, criss cross apple sauce, I call a row up at a time for the reading to begin. My ELL students seem to be braver and more willing to read when their friends are around them. Each students get the opportunity to read their reading their sentence and show off their Student work. We applaud and cheer after each reading.